Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL)

This article refers to the original Oil Kings franchises that existed until 1978. For the current team that began play in 2007, see Edmonton Oil Kings

Edmonton Oil Kings
City:	Edmonton, Alberta
League:	Western Hockey League
Operated:	1951–76
Home Arena:	Edmonton Gardens
Colours:	Red, Blue, White
Franchise history
1967–78:	Flin Flon Bombers
1978–79:	Edmonton Oil Kings
1979–80:	Great Falls Americans
1980–81:	Spokane Flyers
Previous franchise history
1951–76:	Edmonton Oil Kings
1976-Present:	Portland Winter Hawks

The Edmonton Oil Kings were a junior team, and founding member of the Western Hockey League. They played at the Edmonton Gardens in Edmonton, Alberta, and later the Northlands Coliseum. In 1976 they moved to Portland, Oregon to become the Portland Winter Hawks. A second incarnation of the team played only one season in 1977–78 before moving to Great Falls, Montana.

WCHL Division titles won: 1968–69, 1970–71, 1972–73

WCHL Regular season titles won: 1966–67, 1970–71

WCHL League Championships won: 1971, 72

Memorial Cup Titles: 1963, 1966

Buddy Noon, the Oil Kings goalie in their first season 1950-51, showing their first uniform. From the City of Edmonton Archives.

1972-73 program

Franchise history

The Edmonton Oil Kings have a history that predates the founding of the Western Hockey League. They started out as an amalgamation of the teams of the Edmonton Junior Hockey League in 1950-51. They then entered the Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1951-52 and played until the league's demise in 1955-56. They won the league title in 1954.

After that they entered the senior Central Alberta Hockey League and competed as an independent team in the Memorial Cup playoffs, The team was required to defeat the Alberta Junior Hockey League champion to earn the right to play for the national junior championship. They were also Memorial Cup finalists nine different years between 1954 and 1971, including seven straight years from 1960-66.

In 1966, Bill Hunter, the team's General Manager, was concerned about the state of junior hockey in western Canada. Each of the west's four provinces all had their own junior league, and Hunter felt that this put them at a disadvantage when competing nationally against the powerful leagues in Ontario and Quebec. Hunter hoped to form a unified western league to compete.

Hunter's hopes became reality in the summer of 1966, when a revolt within the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League caused several of its top clubs, the Estevan Bruins, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades, Moose Jaw Canucks and Weyburn Red Wings, to leave the league and join Hunter's Oil Kings in forming a new league. A seventh franchise was also added in Calgary, the Calgary Buffaloes.

The Oil Kings captured back to back President's Cup titles in 1971 and 1972. However it would prove to be the final titles in the celebrated franchise's history, as the Oil Kings found it difficult to compete for fans against the lure of pro hockey provided by the WHA's Edmonton Oilers. The Oil Kings moved to Portland, Oregon in 1976, to become the Portland Winter Hawks.

There was a second Edmonton Oil Kings hockey team in the WHL that played only one season. The Flin Flon Bombers moved to Edmonton for the 1978–79 WHL season, but only survived one year and moved on to Great Falls. The team folded as the Great Falls Americans.

A new WHL team began play in Edmonton in 2007–08, reviving the Oil Kings name.

League membership

The Oil Kings played in the following leagues during its existence:

• 1951–56: Western Canada Junior Hockey League
• 1957–66: Central Alberta Hockey League
• 1966–76: Western Canada Hockey League
• 1978–79: Western Hockey League

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Oil Kings (first: 1951–56)Western Canada Junior Hockey League

Season	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	Finish	Playoffs
1951-52	44	29	14	1	59	-	-	2nd	Lost final
1952-53	36	28	6	2	58	218	97	1st	Lost final
1953-54	36	33	3	0	55	263	84	1st	Won final
1954-55	40	23	16	1	47	173	115	3rd	Lost semi-final
1955-56	36	17	19	0	34	150	143	3rd	Lost semi-final

Oil Kings (first: 1957–66)Central Alberta Hockey League

Season	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	Finish	Playoffs
1956-57	40	24	16	0	48	-	-	2nd	Lost semi-final
1957-58	40	20	19	1	41	161	164	3rd	Lost semi-final
1958-59	40	13	26	1	27	-	-	4th	Lost semi-final
1959-60	30	12	18	0	24	157	171	4th	Lost final
1960-61	30	12	18	0	24	-	-	4th	out of playoffs
1961-62	34	14	17	3	31	-	-	5th	out of playoffs
1962-63	34	21	12	1	43	-	-	1st	Lost final
1963-64	40	31	8	1	63	-	-	1st	Lost semi-final

Note: Other seasons are unavailable. After the league playoffs the Oil Kings entered the Memorial Cup playoffs.

Oil Kings (first: 1966–77)Western Hockey League

Season	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	Finish	Playoffs
1966–67	56	34	12	10	78	281	188	1st Overall	Lost semi-final
1967–68	60	38	16	6	82	303	194	3rd Overall	Lost semi-final
1968–69	60	33	25	2	68	229	206	1st West	Lost final
1969–70	60	35	25	0	70	254	217	2nd West	Lost final
1970–71	66	45	20	1	91	346	258	1st West	Won Championship
1971–72	68	44	22	2	90	320	246	2nd West	Won Championship
1972–73	68	40	20	8	88	311	240	1st West	Lost semi-final
1973–74	68	25	36	7	57	252	301	4th West	Lost quarter-final
1974–75	70	34	29	7	75	340	321	5th West	Out of playoffs
1975–76	72	25	42	5	55	312	400	5th West	Lost preliminary round

Oil Kings (second: 1978–79)

Season	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	Finish	Playoffs
1978–79	72	17	43	12	46	288	403	3rd East	Eliminated in round robin

NHL alumni

Ron Anderson Wayne Babych Garnet Bailey Jeff Bandura Dave Barr Doug Barrie Norm Beaudin Larry Bignell Tom Bladon Gregg Boddy John Bucyk Craig Cameron Bryan Campbell Tony Currie John Davidson Edward Diachuk Marc Dufour Bob Falkenberg Harrison Gray Larry Hale

Al Hamilton Ray Hannigan Jim Harrison Galen Head Rich Healey Bryan Hextall Ted Hodgson Chuck Holmes Dave Hoyda Fran Huck Frank Hughes Ron Jones Eddie Joyal Kerry Ketter Don Kozak Dave Kryskow Doug Lecuyer Craig Levie Ross Lonsberry Len Lunde Bruce MacGregor

Bert Marshall Ted McAneeley Dunc McCallum Don McLeod Billy McNeill Gerry Melnyk Paul Messier Larry Mickey Wayne Muloin Paul Mulvey Bob Murdoch Hap Myers Ray Neufeld Brian Ogilvie Dan Olesevich Butch Paul Cliff Pennington Brent Peterson Pat Quinn Dave Richardson Gary Rissling

Dave Rochefort John Rogers Darcy Rota Tom Roulston Phil Russell Glen Sather Jim Shires Gary Simmons Harold Snepsts Doug Soetaert Roy Sommer Frank Spring Wayne Stephenson Gord Strate Bobby Taylor Norm Ullman Bob Whitlock Randy Wyrozub Ed Zeniuk

References

Oil Kings Heritage